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Target Refuses To Pull Fidget Spinners With High Lead Levels

(CBS Local) - Kids find fidget spinners fun and somewhat addictive. New research shows they can also be dangerous.

The popular little toys are already the subject of Consumer Product Safety Commission choking hazard warnings. Now, new research shows that some of the popular spinners sold at Target contain dangerously high levels of lead.

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The US Public Interest Research Group (US PIRG) found that the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner Brass tested at 33,000 parts per million for lead, which is more than 300 times the 100 parts per million allowable for children’s toys. The lead level in another model, the Fidget Wild Premium Spinner in Metal, tested at 1,300 parts per million.

Target said their product safety team reviewed the US PIRG’s test results and decided there was no need to pull the products from its shelves or website.

"The two fidget spinners cited in their letter are clearly marked on the package as ‘appropriate for customers ages 14 and older,’ and are not marketed to children," Target spokesman Lee Henderson said in a prepared statement. "As a result, the fidget spinners identified are not regulated as toys or children’s products and are not required to meet children’s product standards."

Kara Cook-Shultz, toxics director at US PIRG, said regardless of how the CPSC classifies them, spinners are marketed as toys for kids and sold in toy aisles.

"All fidget spinners have play value as children’s toys regardless of labeling," said Cook-Schultz. "We can’t sit idly by while children play with these toxic toys. And, yes, they are toys."

Target has failed to comment about why they would sell a product that could be dangerous for children or adults.

In children, lead can lead to hyperactivity, behavior problems, and learning disabilities. In adults, lead poisoning leads to brain and nervous system ailments, stomach and kidney problems, high blood pressure, and muscle problems, according to WebMD.